Need advice - Gel frame.

F

Fahnon

Well-known member
So I'm moving up from worklights and started putting together a basic Lowel light kit. I'm buying things piecemeal so I don't have gel frames yet.

This is what the official DP light gel frame looks like.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/31871-REG/Lowel_D2_24_DP_Frame_for_DP.html

I so far have 3 DP lights and a Tota light and was wondering if anyone knew of frames that maybe connect to the stand vs the light. Seems like that would allow the most versatility because the frame wouldn't be model specific (I could even fire up the old worklights and use them).

F
 
DaneCannon said:
Lowel can help you out with that too -- the flexishaft.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LOWEL-FLEXI...038?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d31f2f306
One side will plug into the frame and one side will plug into either the light or one of their clips.
Click to expand...

Thanks Dane. That's a very cool (and inexpensive) solution. I kept researching after I posted and found this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/757084-REG/Impact_3312_MK2_Universal_Filter_Holder.html

It's a bit more money but includes the frame. I think it may even out in the end since with the flexishaft you still need to buy the frame itself and a clamp I believe...
 
One important difference between these frames is that the Impact ones are designed for 12"x12" square gels, while the Lowel ones are sized for 10"x12" filters. If you buy precut filters from the likes of Lee, Manfrotto and Rosco, the 12" square size seems to be the standard. This would favor the Impact frame unless you want to cut all your filters to the unusual Lowel size, or have part of them dangling outside the frame.

I have a few of the Lowel bits but have been looking at the Impacts for a while now. When I last checked, they seemed to be perpetually out of stock at B&H, and the reviews were not that good -- there were several complaints about their durability, especially the clamp that attaches to the light stand. The one you linked to above seems to be a newer version and I see no red flags in the user reviews, so I'll probably pick up a few and try them out.

I do think the Lowel flex-shaft is a very clever piece of hardware, useful for flags, small reflectors and such as well as the gel frames. It's worth having a few in any case.

- Greg
 
Greg Smith said:
One important difference between these frames is that the Impact ones are designed for 12"x12" square gels, while the Lowel ones are sized for 10"x12" filters. If you buy precut filters from the likes of Lee, Manfrotto and Rosco, the 12" square size seems to be the standard. This would favor the Impact frame unless you want to cut all your filters to the unusual Lowel size, or have part of them dangling outside the frame.

I have a few of the Lowel bits but have been looking at the Impacts for a while now. When I last checked, they seemed to be perpetually out of stock at B&H, and the reviews were not that good -- there were several complaints about their durability, especially the clamp that attaches to the light stand. The one you linked to above seems to be a newer version and I see no red flags in the user reviews, so I'll probably pick up a few and try them out.

I do think the Lowel flex-shaft is a very clever piece of hardware, useful for flags, small reflectors and such as well as the gel frames. It's worth having a few in any case.

- Greg
Click to expand...

That's a good point about the gel size. Maybe you were looking at an older model of the Impact arm, because not only are they in stock, but the reviews are pretty glowing (such as they are; there are only 5 of them).
 
the tota light at least burns through diffusion and gels pretty quick if you clip it directly onto the metal reflectors it has.

although clipping c47's to the reflectors then clipping the gel to THAT might be okay... might still melt.

either way those flexishafts look pretty cool, i've been thinking about picking some up.
 
I never really work with those lights, but I remember the tota getting particularly hot. I used to have one of the DP's though and I'd always just clip gels onto the doors no problem.
 
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